Both Intimate and Epic: Melyssa & Clayton's Rocky Mountain Wedding

When a couple chooses to have an intimate wedding, it often means their looking to pare things back with a low key, simple wedding. But not today's real wedding bride and groom! Melyssa & Clayton had just 25 guests for their wedding at Buffalo Mountain Lodge in Banff, Canada. But by keeping their guestlist small, the couple were able to go all in on the details; the gorgeous style, the elegant table decor, the stunning florals, thoughtful personal touches, and one epic mountain backdrop. Jill Coursen Photography captured this Rocky Mountain beautifully...

Melyssa & Clayton have been together since they were teenagers, “We met at a mutual friend's cabin party when we were just 18 and 19 years old. He played hard-to-get but eventually came around and we've been together ever since. The day of our wedding was actually our 8-year dating anniversary.” And what a nice way to spend it!

We do enjoy shoes with a bit of shimmer!

Such pretty stationery, it ties in beautifully with the feel of the day!

Clayton popped the question while the couple were on on holiday in Europe, “While in Venice, Italy, we decided to go on a gondola ride. It was sunset and we had just passed the Rialto Bridge when he turned to me and said "I'm going to tell you a story...". He got down on one knee and proposed. My sister and her boyfriend caught the entire thing on video. I was so blown away!” Now that sounds like something out of a movie!

With just 25 guests, Melissa & Clayton wanted their wedding to have an intimate atmosphere, “We we're aiming for a natural, romantic, "mountain-elegance" feel without becoming overly rustic. The smoke from the B.C. wild fires added almost a dream-like effect to the mountains the day of our wedding.”

The ceremony was a real highlight of the day for the bride and groom, “The ceremony was so full of emotion - we wrote our own vows to each other and were surrounded only by our parents, siblings, and closest friends in a meadow overlooking the beautiful Rocky Mountains. It was surreal.” It's a pretty epic backdrop for a ceremony!

The couple had two special fellows as their ring-bearers, “My sister’s boyfriend (24 years old) had secretly carried our engagement ring around Europe for a week before the proposal; so naturally we asked him to be our ring bearer along with my cousin’s 2-year old son.”

Those views!

The couple say that photography was their top priority. “Videography was not in our budget, so it was important to us to find a photographer that was able to beautifully capture all the candid moments, as well as formal photos. Jill exceeded all our expectations!”

Melyssa says she and Clayton chose the Strathcona Room at Buffalo Mountain Lodge for their wedding venue, because it could fit all their guests comfortably at one long table, “This created a family-style environment and we felt that we were really able to connect with all our guests during dinner and speeches. Having the venue just walking distance from the ceremony location was an added bonus.”

Gorgeous place-settings and personalised geode escort cards.

This pair’s advice for other couples getting married? Don’t go into debt for one day. “Make a list of YOUR priorities and stick to it – you're never going to make everyone happy.”

What a fabulous wedding! And what a place to have it! Thanks so much to Melyssa & Clayton for sharing your day, and of course to Jill Coursen Photography for such beautiful pictures.